the unchosen trauma: AFO's distorted family roles with Yoichi, his lack of separation, and how he overcompensates through Shigaraki and Machia — and why he kills all three 🧵
AFO's primary trauma is the absence of a parental figure. the lack of fundamental care instills in him that no one will accept him unconditionally, so he has to take love by force. "love" in a broad sense: recognition, respect, closeness. that's how his drive for power is formed.
he notices that love and recognition exist, but they are not given to him. if he can't be loved, he'll become someone to be feared. this fuels his desire to dominate, instill fear, and possess — to claim the recognition he was denied. control becomes a substitute for closeness.
Yoichi is the only one AFO truly possesses from the start, his sole source of unconditional recognition. his feelings toward Yoichi are sincere, but mixed with anxiety, "I have nothing else, I must keep him mine." this pushes AFO to emotional and physical abuse:
to make Yoichi believe that without him, he is worthless. to feel safe, AFO needs to control Yoichi — a role not of a brother, but of a parent. he also demands exclusivity in their bond: since he has no one else, Yoichi shouldn't either. which is more like a partner's role.
instead of a healthy sibling dynamic, "I support you, but you're not my only source of stability", AFO creates a semi-spousal one, where Yoichi is treated as both a child and a partner. this can be seen as enmeshment, with distorted family roles and a lack of personal boundaries.
by running away, Yoichi undermines both AFO's sense of being needed and wanted. AFO's greatest grievance is that Yoichi doesn't flee alone — he forms a new bond, shattering the illusion of exclusivity in their relationship.
this feels like the ultimate betrayal and the loss of an internal anchor, "someone genuinely recognizes me", and in a fit of rage, AFO kills his brother. it's the final act of power over Yoichi, a hysterical declaration "if you're not mine, you don't dare to exist".
to compensate for his trauma, AFO seeks to seize OFA and kill all its wielders. OFA embodies human connections and originates from Yoichi. it's passed on voluntarily, highlighting genuine bonds between people, reminiscent of Yoichi's relationships. that's what frustrates AFO.
AFO's guilt, resentment, pain, and desire for revenge are intertwined, but he also craves regained control and affirmation of his being wanted (unconditional recognition). these aspects are best revealed through his relationships with Shigaraki and Gigantomachia.
primarily, Shigaraki, still a child, embodies AFO's desire to be unconditionally needed, the idea that without him, one cannot survive. he's the only one who responds to help Tenko, his support. Tenko has nowhere to go. AFO gives him belonging, while molding him from infancy.
more to it, Tenko embodies AFO's desire to regain lost control and amplify it. "Yoichi ran away because I didn't control him enough. it'll be different with you." that's why he strips Tenko of everything — his former name, quirk, life — elevating control over him to an absolute.
AFO's desire for revenge also plays a role here. Tenko is the one on whom he displaces his resentment toward Yoichi, so by the end their relationship is revealed as extremely sadistic. AFO takes everything from Tenko in the cruelest way, experiencing the very control he lacked.
through Shigaraki, AFO attempts to imitate OFA, which reveals his envy of Yoichi. Tomura isn't his successor — he merges with him. the very idea, "you are the new me", replaces a healthy interpersonal bond (like OFA's) with separation anxiety and the desire to consume the partner
Shigaraki isn't allowed to exist as an independent person. AFO can't be abandoned or betrayed only if they are one. likewise, if they are one, he hasn't "ruined Tenko Shimura's life" because this way there's no Tenko, only Shigaraki, and Shigaraki is AFO himself.
killing Shigaraki is AFO's fear of separation made manifest. Shigaraki begins to become something separate from him, just like Yoichi once did. AFO consumes him to claim him completely and eliminate any chance of rejection. this reveals AFO's inability to let go or forgive.
AFO's need to be wanted and exclusive is fulfilled by Machia and his absolute loyalty. Machia obeys him, waits for him. AFO is his only meaningful bond, not rooted in blood. Machia chose him, and that feeds his ego. it's his way of proving to himself that the problem isn't him.
Machia helps soothe AFO's guilt toward Yoichi. subconsciously, he doubts his treatment of Yoichi, and his bond with Machia allows him to justify himself and silence that feeling: "even with how I control him, I can still be chosen. so the problem isn't me, it's Yoichi."
through Machia, AFO gets to live his trauma from the opposite side, stepping into Yoichi's place. Machia waits for AFO, protects him, feels deep distress — just like AFO once felt with Yoichi. even the attack after one abandoned the other results from this mirrored dynamic.
the most important thing about Machia is that he reflects AFO himself. the final scene, where Machia turns against AFO for abandoning him, parallels how AFO felt when Yoichi left him. AFO confronts the embodiment of his own neediness, dependence, and desire for love,
exposed by Machia, and realizes he's not ready to accept this vulnerable part of himself. that's why he kills him with such contempt — he hates himself for even wanting to be loved. killing Machia is an act of self-loathing.
Yoichi, Shigaraki, and Machia expose the parts of AFO he can't tolerate: abandonment, loss of control, and unbearable vulnerability. he wants closeness but replaces it with possession. he seeks love but kills everything that could make it possible.
Midoriya points out that AFO is, in fact, deeply lonely. this underscores the importance of compassion, the ability to give without expecting anything in return, and the courage to show vulnerability and open up to others. everything AFO lacked becomes the cause of his downfall.
__________ I may not have caught every nuance, but I tried to highlight the ones I found most important. I'm open to discussion either way. thanks for reading all the way through <3
@reyennkolter I do wonder how AFO truly felt about Garaki. The scene of him standing silently while hearing the doctor’s last message seems somber in a way, making me think that at some level, Garaki was a genuine “friend” to him.
@ScotTVGamer hmm good idea. I didn't really think of Garaki in this term, but maybe there's more to say too!
@reyennkolter this is amazing!!! so perfectly written out i’m so impressed. so much i hadn’t thought about that makes so much sense
@reyennkolter Peak thread